- Tony, a biopic centred on Anthony Bourdain, is in the works with A24.
- Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers) is being circled to portray the late celebrity chef, author, & travel documentarian.
- Blackberry director Matt Johnson, on the other hand, has been tapped to helm the project.
It’d be a lie to say we had no reservations about such a project. Especially given how a certain documentary and a certain un-authorised biography left a bad taste in our mouths.
But hopefully, the Anthony Bourdain biopic being developed by acclaimed indie powerhouse A24 — in collaboration with Star Thrower Entertainment (Wind River, The Post, King Richard) — handles the troubled icon‘s life story with a little more care.
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And the correct brand of excitement.
According to multiple sources, the film currently dubbed Tony is set to be helmed by Blackberry director Matt Johnson; who’ll be working from a screenplay penned by Lou Howe and Todd Bartels.
A24’s Trevor White and Star Thrower’s Tim White along with Matthew Miller, Emily Rose, and Johnson himself are all in talks to produce.
As for the all-important question of who will play Uncle Tony on the big screen, at time of writing, it appears that The Holdovers breakout talent Dominic Sessa appears to be the frontrunner. The 21-year-old is currently in the midst of shooting Jon M. Chu’s Now You See Me 3.
While it would ultimately lead to tragedy in 2018, Anthony Bourdain certainly lived with nothing held back — in the greatest sense possible.
The veteran chef-turned-author and travel documentarian famously earned his “big break” at the age of 44, with a revealing article about the hospitality industry, which he’d eventually parlay into global stardom.
“I wrote a short piece intending it for a free paper in New York called The New York Press,” the man we revere in present day recounted while conversing with Fast Company.
“They intended to publish it, I was told, but they kept bumping it week after week after week, and in a moment of hubris, I listened to my mom’s completely unreasonable suggestion that I send it to The New Yorker.”
“The New Yorker calls and says, ‘We’re running your story, we’re buying your story.’”
“They ran it, an editor at Bloomsbury whose name was Karen Rinaldi had read the article and commissioned me for the staggeringly high price of $50,000 to write a book. When that book came out, it was immediately a best-seller and it changed my life overnight. Overnight.”
That book, of course, was Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly — an expansion of the aforementioned New Yorker article ‘Don’t Eat Before Reading This‘ — and would serve as the mainstream introduction to the inimitable Bourdain brand.
He added: “I mean I was desperately in debt, hadn’t paid my rent in time ever, had owed Amex for ten years, without making a single payment, owed the IRS — hadn’t even filed — it was a very, very, very insecure place at age 44. Suddenly, people were offering me things, and offering me opportunities.”
“I was old enough and I’d f***ed up enough already that I just said, you know, ‘I realise this is a lucky break.’”
“So I made very careful choices, and I said no a lot to what seemed like a lot of money. What’s good for you in the short run is not necessarily good for you in the long run.”
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A few years later, Bourdain would find himself hosting A Cook’s Tour, No Reservations (2005-2012), and The Layover (2011-2013) — all precursors to CNN’s hit series Parts Unknown (2013-2018).
The late great Anthony Bourdain is widely credited for reviving culinary-centric gonzo journalism; and reconceptualising how the everyday punter approaches travel.
2024 marks six years since the death of Anthony Bourdain. If you or anyone you know is anxious, depressed, considering self-harm or suicide, there are people who want to help.
Reach out here or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. And as always, don’t forget to check on your mates.
